Angular head flashlight casing, including a readily attachable reflector contact means



2,599,254 READILY J. A. GITS EI'AL ANGULAR HEAD FLASHLIGHT CASING, INCLUDING A June 3, 1952 ATTACHABLE REFLECTOR CONTACT MEANS Filed Aug. 26, 1948 JNVENIORSZ Jasep/z 616:8 BY Jules 1? Hats flhdwmz 41 5 [LI I I -V\V.V I ///////V////////////l/ll/I 26 having threads corresponding to those of portion 23. A flange 21 on cap 26 overlies the periphery of a lens 28, the lens bearing against a gasket 29 on one side of the reflector rim, which in turn bears against a gasket 3| on the other side of the reflector rim to force .gasket 3| against the outer edge of portion 23. By screwing cap 26 tightly ont'o'portio'n 23,'gaskets 29 and 3I' are sufliciently compressed to provide a water-tight seal at this point in the flashlight casing.

Reflector 25 may be formed of any metal, such as brass, for example, which has been suitably plated with nickel or chromium, for example, to

iol

provide an internal reflecting surface, and has a I 32 to bear against rim 33 for holding bu1bf24 in its proper position in the reflector and to permit contact 35 on the bulb to project outwardly from the rear of the plug. 7

Internally of barrel 10 are a pair of ribs 36 defining a channel between them, within which channel conductor strips 31 and 38 may lie. Ribs 36 project away from the inside surface of the barrel a sufficient distance so that the channel has enough depth for strips 31 and 38 to be out of contact with the outer surface of the flashlight batteries. Rear conductor strip 33 is held to the casing at its forward end by means of a rivet 39 and to the casing at its rearward end by a rivet 41 which also connects the strip to an annular ring or shell 42 having an outwardly bent flange 43. When cap [4 is screwed onto the flashlight barrel, internal shoulder l1 causes the base of spring l8 to contact flange 43.

The forward conductor strip 31. is attached at its rearward end to barrel I by means of a rivet 44, and includes an angular portion 45 (Figs. 4, and 8) extending substantially at right angles into head H and a contact portion 46 extending forwardly to engage contact 35 of bulb 24. Angula'r portion 46 extends at rightangles from the upper edge of portion 45 and includes a depressed portion 46a (Fig. 8) thereby to stiffen this part somewhat.

Conductor strips 31 and as. f'orm'part of the electrical circuit within the flashlight casing, and

have their adjacent ends spaced apart from each other to provide an incomplete circuit. Externally. of .barrel [6 there is a switch housing 41 attached thereto by means of suitable rivets whichmaylbe of any suitable construction in so :arasthe' present invention. is concerned. and may affect full on, full ofi or a' signal light by theithumbpiece lil and button 49 if so desired. Other types of switches may also be used. Rivet 44 and rivet 5| project into the inside of housing 41, anda circuit is completed between them to complete a circuit between conductors 31 and 38 through manipulation of thumbpiece 48 along casing 41, as is well understood in the art. One form of switchistructure isfidescribed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,408,393; entitled Flashlight/1130 Joseph'A. Gits and Jules.P Gits.

Spaced between angular head I I and'barrel I6, and preferably integrally forme'dtherewith, is a transverse bridging member 52 forming an'abutmerit for 'th'eforward end of batteries l2 and" forming a support for a resilient contact 53. At" one end of bridging member 52, reinforcing wings 54 and 55- extendfrom the respective sides and jcinthe bridging member to the walls of head l I. imi fi ilyn fi h fithi f. 3 2 12 5 1 5. wer a e; $5.

=-through' conicalspring I8, annular ring 42, and

pair of reinforcing wings 56 and 51 joining the bridging member to and forming a part of the inner walls of head H. The adjacent edges of wings 55 and 51 are spaced apart, as is seen best in Fig. 4, thereby forming a space through which conductor strip 31 passes. At the forward end of the bridging member adjacent wings 56 and 51 there is a cutout portion 6| terminating in a rear surface 62 and having side surfaces 63 and 64. Extending inwardly from side surfaces 63 and64, respectively, are slots 65 and 66 for receiving contact member 53.

Contact member 53 includes a corrugated central portion 61-which is received in slots 65 and 66, the corrugations engaging with the walls of the slots for firmly holding the contact member attached to bridging member 52. Spaced downwardly from central portion 61 is a rearward portion 68 which extends below the bridging member for contacting one terminal of batteries l2, that part of the contact structure between portions 51 and 68 being adapted to abut against rear surface 62 for limiting inward movement. Projecting forwardly from central portion 61 is an upwardly curved portion 69 which extends forwardly into the threaded part 23 of the head good contact. In order that contact member 53 may be properly placed in position, portion 68 is narrower than the remaining part of the contact so that it will pass between walls 63 and 64 of opening 6|.

Contact member 53 preferably may be formed from a single piece of strip material, such as brass, and formed into the desired shape by any,

process, such as by stamping.

The tendency of contact 46 to be pushed rearwardly by terminal 35 of the flashlight bulb when the reflector and bulb unit is assembled to the casing without making good contact-with the bulb terminal is substantially prevented by placing portion 45 so that the lower edge thereof engages the top surface of wing 55 about midway between the extremities of portion 45. Consequently, when the'flashlight bulb bears against the outer end of contact 46, this engagement combined with the riveting of strip 31 to the casing wall prevents strip 31 from twisting away from the wall of the flashlight barrel. Portion 45 may twist a small amount, but the stiffness thereof, combined with the stiffness of contact 46, causes this member to exert its full force against the contact of the bulb. Contact part 46 is still resilient and rubbing is produced therebetween andbulb contact 35 whereby good elec trical contact is made.

When the flashlight switch is closed, the electrical circuit to the batteries is completed by the resilient portion 46 engaging contact 35 of the bulb, the forward portion 69 of contact 53 engaging the reflector, the rearward portion 68 engaging one terminal ofthe battery, and

conductor strip 38. v V

Itis preferred that the flashlight, including casing I6, head ll, andbridging member '52, together with its reinforcing members, be formed by molding, sayby the. injection method, in which all of the various 'parts' are formed integrally with each other. The exteriors of barrel l0 and ofcap 14 maybe provided with ribs 1I and12, I .essh wa P i? 1 1 8 h eby. $9 grinn s gments of theseinembers may beshadi Attached he the rearv portion .of head l-I byrivets, as showniisia sprlinghanger 1.3.

With contactstructure 53, asudescribed, the flashlight jcasing proper may best be completed and the contact structure thereafter manually applied theretd'bya "simplemanu'al operation, thereby'preventing damage tothe bridgingmember 52,*as' well as preventing-improper positioning of the contact structure 53 arising out of the manufacturing process.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully so explain the ist of my invention that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under varying conditions of service, without eliminating certain features, which may properly be said to constitute the essential items of novelty involved, which items are intended to be defined and secured to me by the following claims.

We claim:

1. A flashlight structure comprising a barrel, a head forming a juncture at one end of said barrel and extending from said barrel at an angle to the axis thereof, said head having an opening defining the upper end and the front side of said flashlight, an apertured bridging member extending transversely across said barrel substantially at the juncture of said barrel and said head, said apertured bridgin member having two edges parallel to the plane of the axes of said barrel and said head to form an aperture, said edges having grooves therein substantially parallel to the surface of said bridging member, said apertured bridging member separating said barrel and said head into a first compartment within which a source of energy may be received and a second compartment within which a bulb and reflector may be received, a contact member slidably received in the grooves of said bridging member through the front opening of said head, said contact member being so shaped that an end of said contact member will extend into each compartment, one end of said contact member being a reflector engaging contact and the other end of said contact member being an energy source engaging contact, and a conductor lying along the inside of said barrel and projecting from said first compartment into said second compartment and terminating 'in a bulb-engaging contact.

2. A flashlight structure comprising a barrel, a head forming a juncture at one end of said barrel and extending from said barrel at an angle to the axis thereof, said head having an opening defining the upper end and the front side of said flashlight, an apertured bridging member separating said barrel and said head into a'flrst compartment within which a source of energy may be received and a second compartment within which a bulb and reflector may be received, said apertured bridging member having two edges parallel to the plane of the axes of said barrel and said head to form an aperture, said edges having grooves therein substantially parallel to the surface of said bridging member, a contact member slidably received in the grooves of said bridging member through the front opening of said head, said contact member being so shaped that an end of said contact member will extend into each compartment, one end of said contact member being a reflector-engaging contact and the other end of said contact member being an energy source engaging contact, and a conductor lying along the inside of said barrel and project- 6? ing from saidffirsticompartment into said second compartmenteand terminatingin a bulb jengaging contact.

3. A flashlight structure comprising a barrel, a head formmgi a'ijurrctureat one end of said barrel. and extending fromlsaid barrel at an an le to-. the.-ax'is thereof, said head having an. opening defiiiing the upper end an'dlthe'fro'nt sneer-Sam flashlight, an 'aperture'd bridging -member 'separating said barrel and said head into a first compartment within which a source of energy may be received and a second compartment within which ,a bulb and reflector may be received, said apertured bridging member having two edges parallel to the plane of the axes of said barrel and said head to form an aperture, said edges having grooves therein substantially parallel to the surface of said bridging member, a contact member anchored in the aperture of said bridging member by a friction engagement with the grooves of said bridging member so that one end of said contact member extends into one compartment and the other end of said contact member extends into the other compartment, one end of said contact member being a reflectorengaging member and the other end of said contact member being an energy source engaging contact, and a conductor lying along the inside of said barrel and projecting from said first compartment into said second compartment and terminating in a bulb-engaging contact.

4. A flashlight structure comprising a barrel,

a head forming a juncture at one end of said barrel and extending from said barrel at an angle to the axis thereof, a bridging member internally dividing said barrel from said head, said bridging member having two edges parallel to the plane of the axes of said barrel and said head to form an aperture, said edges having grooves therein substantially parallel to the surface of said bridging member, a contact member inserted in said aperture and retained in said grooves with one end extending into said barrel to form an energy source engaging contact therein and with the other end extending in said head to form ,a re- Hector-engaging contact.

I 5. A flashlight structure comprising a. barrel, a head forming a juncture at one end of said barrel and extending from said barrel at an angle to the axis thereof, a bridging member internally dividing said barrel from said head, said bridging member having two edges parallel to the plane of the axes of said barrel and said head to form an aperture, said edges having grooves therein substantially parallel to the surface of said bridging member, a contact member inserted in said aperture and having its opposed edges lying in said grooved edges of said aperture, said contact member corrugated to resiliently secure said contact member in the grooved edges of the aperture in said bridging member, one end of said contact member extending into said head to form a reflector-engaging contact and the other end of said contact member extending into said barrel to form an energy source engaging contact therein, and a conductor in said barrel and projecting from said barrel into said head and terminating into a bulb-engaging contact.

JOSEPH A. GITS. JULES P. GITS.

(References on following page) 7 REFERENCES CITED Number The following references are of record in the fl1eot this pautent. 2:4o8:393 UNITED STATES PATENTS v v 6 ,509, Number Name Date 1,599,113 Carglll et a1 Sept. 7, 1926 Number Gunthorp Oct. 20, 1936 22,473

Name Date Gelardin July 15, 1941 Muldoon Sept. 26, 1944 Gits et a1 Oct. 1, 1946 Miller May 30, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Denmark Sept. 24, 1917 

